Thinking About God

By Ricky Chelette, Executive Director

Do you know that you are a theologian? We all are. Everyone, everywhere is thinking about God in one way or another. That’s what theology is: “thinking about God.” Even the atheist can only identify himself as such by thinking about that which he refuses to acknowledge—God. 

And what we think determines how we act. Though we often say we “act without thinking,” nothing could be further from the truth. Whatever comes out of us, in deed or creed, is really that which is already in us. Therefore, it is imperative that we put into our minds and souls the things of God. This is what Paul had in mind in his admonition to the church in Philippi:

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”

Phil. 4:8

We are constantly inundated with information, and it is often difficult to determine truth from lies. Paul’s solution is a simple one. Think upon the things of God. The good things. Things which God reveals in His Word that give life, hope, and a future. These things become the framework around which we understand God and His character. When we immerse our minds in the things of God, we develop a theological worldview where God is rightly placed at the center of everything. He is creator, sustainer, investor, and writer of human history – a history with a determined end and purposeful progression towards His glory and our joy. 

For some, thinking about God can be difficult or even troublesome. Our understanding of God is skewed by experiences in our lives or by relationships with our parents or respected elders. Others have difficulty because they view God as the great killjoy in the sky, always wanting to punish or prevent any “fun” they might have. How we think about God matters and determines how we live. 

In a book entitled Doing Theology with Huck and Jim: Parables for Understanding Doctrine, Mark Shaw reimagines the classic Adventures of Huckleberry Finn as a theological journey. His two characters climb aboard a raft and head down the river, hoping for a life free of restraint:

After a time Huck spoke up. “What’d you bring for food? I’m hungry.” 

Jim unwrapped his bedroll. His worldly wealth was contained in it. Immediately it was all laid out in full view. There was a hat and some fruit, a pair of socks, a rabbit’s foot and a book. Jim tossed Huck a piece of fruit.

“What’d you bring a book for?” asked Huck with a tone of irritation.

“T’ read . . . what else a book good for?”

“What kinda book is it?” Huck asked. 

“Book ‘bout theology,” Jim said, his voice trailing away.

“Theology! I hate theology almost as much as I hate schools and rules,” Huck said, and emphasized the point by spitting into the river.

“What good is theology book on a trip like this?” 

Jim was silent for a long time before he answered. “Trip like this is long. Lotta things gonna happen. Might come in handy.” 

Indeed, “lotta things gonna happen” in life. When life turns from pleasure to pain, or from certainty to uncertainty, we need good theology. In those crucible moments, what we believe about God, His character, and His power will greatly impact our ability to endure the difficulty as a “light and momentary affliction.” How can we do that? Because we know that it “is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Cor. 4:17-18).

How is your theology impacting your view of the world and how you live your life each day? Are you empowered to persevere in Him because you are confident He is good and faithful? Or are you inclined to run to lesser pleasures, easy rebellions, or quick fixes that medicate, but never satiate, your longings? Think about God – think deeply, intentionally, and purposefully. Allow the words of Scripture to be the foundation upon which you develop your ideas of Him, and watch how it changes the way you live!

Why Must It Hurt?

By Ricky Chelette, Executive Director

Born with “bad feet” and a lazy eye, from the moment I came into this world I looked a little weird. As a kid, my mom put drops in my eye that she reports were so strong they could blister the skin. I didn’t like them much, but they were necessary. My feet were another problem. Flat-footed with one club foot, I was fitted with orthopedic shoes from the moment I began to walk. These were not the stylish shoes of the day. They only came in one style and it was ugly. They were bulky, thick-soled, and had a huge arch inside them that felt like I was walking on a huge rock all the time. One shoe also had a strap attached to it that was then attached to my hip to pull my foot into proper position. I wasn’t quite Forrest Gump, but I was close. 

Pain is part of our human experience. From our entrance into this world, to our growing, to aging and eventually to our death, our life is fraught with pain and suffering. I remember how much those shoes hurt. I remember how some of the kids in elementary school teased me. I remember I couldn’t run well in them. But whenever I would complain, my sweet mom would remind me that though the pain was real, it was working something in me that would be good for a lifetime.

The problem is we live in a world averse to pain. Our modern age allows us to medicate every discomfort with a myriad of remedies and distractions. This can be helpful when we experience physical pain caused by disease or injury, but sometimes this aversion to pain prevents us from becoming the people God intends us to be. Pain is a great teacher; it signals something has to change. 

Pain strips away the superfluous in our life. It causes us to see what is real, what is important, and what is true. Pain is, in many instances, a divine opportunity for growth and maturity. I endured the pain of those wretched orthopedic shoes for years. My feet eventually healed and I was later able to run like a stallion! Far too often we attempt to remove pain from our lives when in fact God intends to refine us by it. 

Jesus understands the pain of humanity because He became one of us. In Hebrews 5:7-10 the writer states:

“In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him…”

Jesus “learned obedience through what he suffered.” Jesus, the perfect, sinless, Son of God learned obedience through suffering? How can this be? While it seems odd that Christ would “learn” in this way, the truth is that obedience is only experienced when it is practiced. In other words, a command must be given and followed. An obstacle must be faced and overcome. An addiction must be owned and I must deny it and submit it to Christ. That means there must be a time of testing, a time when the option to do something other than obey is present. 

The Bible tells us that Jesus was tempted in all ways as we are tempted, yet without sin (Heb. 4:15). As a human with all the temptations of the flesh, Jesus chose to obey the Father. He could have escaped. He was God. He faced a pain more severe than any of us. The cross was looming in His immediate future. He knew it. He saw it. He knew it was the purpose for which He came into the world (Jn. 18:37-38). The crucifixion offered Christ the opportunity to experience what we experience in the flesh – the ability to choose obedience. Out of that momentary suffering, He was “made perfect [means complete; fulfilling the mission] and became the source of salvation for all who would obey” (Heb. 5:9). What a Savior!

I don’t think much about those shoes or the eye drops anymore. Their memory seems like a lifetime ago. My feet have walked all over the world sharing the Gospel and my eye has seen the glory of God’s creation and the beauty of the saints who trust in Him. Who would have known? A little suffering in the moment did indeed bring a lifetime of goodness. 

What are the pains in your life? What do your corrective shoes look like? Early childhood abuse, a deep sense of loneliness, feelings of abandonment, rape, bullying, or utter betrayal? Will you let your pain bring you closer to Jesus? Will you submit to His ways and allow the life of the Son to flow through you and grow you into the man or woman God wants you to be? Will you allow the Refiners fire to work in you, purifying your life to reflect the glory of God? 

So I ask the question, why must life hurt? In order that He might truly heal! Life is painful, but that pain can allow us to experience precious fellowship with our Savior.

We Work So Hard

By Ricky Chelette, Executive Director

“At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.” (Titus 4:3-5)

We live in a work oriented world. We spend the majority of our lives seeking to be productive people. As a result, we often apply that work orientation to our faith and salvation. We want to work our way to God’s good graces. 

But Paul’s letter to Titus corrects our misconceptions of work and salvation in this powerful passage. 

Paul, like all good evangelists, wants Titus to know how we lived our lives before we encountered God so we can appreciate what has been done for us. In Titus 3:3 Paul gives a list to remind: foolish, disobedient, deceived, enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures, full of malice, envy and hate. This is, unfortunately, how we live apart from Jesus. We can’t help it, but we are responsible for it. It is sin, living and working its way out in our lives and seeking to destroy us. 

But notice what happens in verse 4: “…the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared.” 

Is that the first thought you have when you think of Jesus appearing on the scene of humanity? Do you think kindness and love? Or do you think judgment and punishment? And notice that it does not say, Jesus demonstrated kindness and love (though certainly He does), but that the One who appeared was kindness and love. These attributes are not merely actions of our God, they are the essence of who He is.

I’m inclined to think that most of us think of God primarily as judge and punisher, but we are wrong. John tells us specifically in John 3:17 “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him.” 

Jesus showed up on earth and we were able to see the reality of the God who had been relentlessly pursuing redemption and reconciliation with His creation since the beginning of time. His very character of kindness motivated His actions. His embodiment of love covered a multitude of our sins. 

But that is not all. Paul goes on to tell us, “but when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.” His kindness and love (in the form of God the Son) precipitated a change in our lives. That change transformed us from the kingdom of darkness (all our former ways of living in verse 3), into a kingdom of light– a kingdom of kindness and love! We were “saved.” But how? How did this salvation take place? What did we do? 

Here lies the greatest mystery of all and the truth that distinguishes Christianity from all other religious expressions on the planet. Paul makes it quite clear it was not “because of righteous things we had done.” In other words, we did not work our way into this relationship with God. We didn’t pass a test, check off a list of duties, or master a set of skills. The kindness and love of our Heavenly Father decided to act in an incredible way to save us and it had nothing to do with anything we did, but everything about who He is – kindness and love. It was his mercy that saved us! 

We need mercy. We long for it every time we sin. It is, to be honest, the attribute of God we are most acquainted with because it is the one we are continually experiencing. We might not realize it, but if we don’t receive mercy on a minute by minute basis we are doomed. His mercy, that never-ending outpouring of kindness and love toward us that empowers our holy living, shields us from the wrath we all deserve. 

As one who struggles with sexual temptations and an identity created out of my brokenness rather than my adoption as God’s child, I’m in constant need of God’s mercy. And so are we all. We work so hard to present ourselves as “perfect people,” doing the right things to be pleasing to as many people as we can. We transfer that sense of performance to God and think He operates the same way. He doesn’t. 

Do you know the God of kindness, love and mercy? Why are those not the first words you think of when you describe Him? Have you received the kindness, love and mercy he longs to give you? Are you still trying to work your way into earning His love for you? If you sense His gentle wooing in your heart, He has already called you His beloved. Won’t you receive Him? His mercy is for you. His kindness is towards you. His love can transform your heart and life to make you all He has created you to be. Stop working so hard. Receive the kindness and love of God.

Alone

By Ricky Chelette, Executive Director

Utterly alone. It is a feeling of isolation and abandonment. It is often frightening and always sobering. It is a condition in which few humans do well. But it is often how many of us feel. 

Jesus knows that feeling. We see it demonstrated most vividly in the week we call “The Passion.”

Passion week should be a time of sober reflection for all those who claim to know Jesus. In these seven days between “Palm Sunday” and “Easter” we see some of the most detailed descriptions of the ministry of Jesus. However, in the middle of the week, on that Wednesday, all of the Gospel accounts are quiet. We don’t know what Jesus did or said on that day. We don’t have any record of His activity, but I can’t help but think it was an overwhelming day. A day when, even among friends, Jesus felt utterly alone.

On Tuesday Jesus met with His disciples in the upper room for what would be their last supper together (Matt 14:12-25). There, He fellowshipped and laughed, and told of the Kingdom and His impending death. That very night, Judas, one of the twelve, would make a deal to betray Him (John 13:21-30).

He knew on Thursday, Peter, James and John, His beloved friends and disciples, would be unable to keep watch and pray with Him in the garden of Gethsemane (Matt 26:36-45). Judas would visit Him again, only this time with a kiss of betrayal that would set in motion His arrest, trial, and crucifixion (Matt 26:47-49).

He knew He would be led through trials before the Sanhedrin (Mark 14:61-64) and the Romans (Mark 15:2-15), and His closest friends -- twelve men in whom Jesus poured out His life -- would all leave Him. Alone. One would betray Him (John 13:21-30). One would deny he knew Him (Luke 22:31-34). All would run at His hour of need (Mark 14:51-52). 

He knew he would be hung on a cross between two strangers who did not know Him, for sins He did not commit (Mark 15:22-32). He knew His last words would be “why have you forsaken me?” (Matt 27:46)

Jesus knew what it feels like to be utterly alone. He knew the pain of total betrayal by those to whom He was most connected. He felt the desperation, the agony, and the pain that aloneness brings. He felt the distance from even His Father as the weight of the sins of the world was upon Him. He felt what we feel and more.

But Jesus knew the Father and that gave Him hope; not in the faithfulness of man or even the love of friends, but in the goodness of God to redeem and restore. In Jesus’ darkest moments on earth, He knew the Father was with Him even when He felt alone. He knew the work He was doing for our redemption would make a way to perfectly reconcile man to God. 

In that moment of utter aloneness, He alone accomplished what only He alone could do. He made a way for those who believe to never be alone again. He adopted us into His family (Eph. 1:5) and became our High Priest always making intercession on our behalf so we would never, ever, ever, be alone again (Rom. 8:31; Heb. 6:2; Matt 28:20).

The reality of Christ’s resurrection is a story of reconciliation and hope for our restless and rebellious heart. It is the promise of God that we will never be alone.

Are you lonely? Have you considered the work of Christ on your behalf to reconcile you with God and make you a part of the family of faith? Do you know the Father and His son, Jesus? Have you neglected the reality of your adoption as the son/daughter of God? 

I pray you will look at the work of Jesus with new eyes and know you never have to be alone.

Will You Persevere?

By Ricky Chelette, Executive Director

Headlines today are filled with uncertainties. From political unrest to wars and rumors of wars, our connected lives stream a never-ending cycle of ever-increasing chaos and tragedy. At times it is overwhelming; at other times, seemingly hopeless. But at all times, persistent. The state of our world often causes us to question faith, humanity, government, life, happiness, spirituality, and even God. How do we survive in a world of constant change?

Perseverance. It is a character quality the writer of Hebrews beautifully exhorts for those who know and love the Lord as their Savior. In Hebrews 3:14, he says, “For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.”

What is this “original confidence” we are to hold firm? Believers are to hold firm to the glory of the Gospel that was received when we first trusted in Christ. 

Do you remember when you first heard about Jesus? Do you recall the wonder and awe that filled your soul when you discovered that God loves YOU!? Can you still sense the excitement you felt when you surrendered your life to His Lordship and vowed to follow Him? Can you still recall the glory of faith, the freedom of the forgiveness of sin, and the joy of adoption as God’s beloved son/daughter? 

Unlike many Christians who came to know Christ as a very young child, I didn’t come to know the Lord until I was 18. I knew of Jesus from a factual perspective, but I had no idea He desired a relationship with me. I had no idea He wanted to call me His son, empower me for His purposes, and allow me to join Him in a greater adventure for my life than I could ever have imagined. Though my memory fails in many ways, I remember vividly that night at the side of my bed when I thought all hope was lost. I remember crying out into my darkened room for God to do something to show me He was real. I remember being overwhelmed with His goodness and the realization that the things I had read of Him and heard about Him were not mere words, but the Way, the Truth and the Life I so desperately desired. 

I am privileged to tell my story over and over again as I teach. I never grow weary of God’s miraculous work in my life. I did nothing to save myself, and I was certainly not worthy of His grace or His goodness, but He found me. He loved me. He lavished upon me what my heart most needed – Jesus. He promised never to leave me or forsake me. And He has been more than faithful!

This truth is my “original confidence” that the preacher is writing about in Hebrews. Though the world may radically change and seek to dissuade me from believing God’s Word is true, the writer of Hebrews calls all of us to remember the One who changed our lives and to keep our eyes on Him.

In fact, he opens the book with this proclamation in verses 2-4:

“But in these last days He [God] has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed the heir of all things, through whom also He created the world. He [Jesus] is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of His nature, and He upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name He has inherited is more excellent than theirs.”

Our confidence is never in the things of the world, never in the political stability, governmental leadership, or sin-evoked chaos and unrest. Our hope is rooted securely in the completed work of our Savior, Jesus Christ, who is seated at the right hand of God. He is upholding the universe by His very Word, which is power. 

As the world seems to spin out of control, we can rest assured that the God is in charge. The writer’s exhortation to us is to persevere with our eyes focused on Him, our hearts submitted to His will, and minds attentive to His Word and the unchanging Gospel, lest we drift away (2:1).  

Do you remember the time you gave your heart to Jesus? Do you remember the passion you had to follow Him and live for Him? Is that passion still present? Has that passion grown dim? What do you need to believe to reignite that “original confidence” that will allow you to persevere?

God’s Faithfulness, Our Hope

By D'Ann Davis, Women's Ministry Director

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.” Hebrews 10:23

Immersed in a world of brokenness, sin, and troubles, as believers we can often find ourselves losing heart. We have heard about these light and momentary afflictions, but we find them anything but light or momentary (2 Corinthians 4:17). We read about the eternal weight of glory awaiting us for which these difficulties apparently prepare us, and we wonder if it is actually worth it. Can we really keep this up? Can we really expect ourselves to fight our flesh and hold on to the One we have never even seen face to face? Doubt slowly creeps in, and pressure rises.

We have seen many decide they cannot do it. They have left the narrow road and embraced the broad road. They seem happy. The tension appears to be gone. There is no fight they are fighting so there is no struggle to be had. As believers though, those who believe, we know that just as affliction is momentary, so is pleasure apart from the Lord. So is the delight of sin. We know that the end of sin is death and destruction, and conversely we know that hope rightly placed in Jesus does not disappoint (James 1:15; Romans 5:5).

The author of Hebrews is exhorting us to hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, not because we are faithful, but because God is. If our faithfulness were wholly contingent on our ability to always choose rightly, perfectly obey in motive, action, and thought, and love Jesus and others without error, then we would indeed be in serious trouble. However we can rest assured that Christ is faithful and was faithful on our behalf. He does not fail. His finished work on the cross and subsequent resurrection ensures us that we can walk in faithful obedience and repentance through the power of the Holy Spirit as we abide in the Lord. Even when we mess up, 2 Timothy 2:13 assures us, “If we are faithless, He remains faithful—for He cannot deny Himself.” When we sin, 1 John 1:9 reminds us, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” He is faithful even in our faithlessness.

Rooted in His character and His faithfulness, we can move forward, knowing that we are free to hold fast to the confession of our faith because it is based on His righteousness and power, not our own. We can walk in obedience. We can be faithful. We can get up when we fall down. We can walk in the freedom already granted us in Christ Jesus. We need not fear our own future risk of sin because He is greater than and has already atoned for any possible future sin. Our hope does not rest in our ability to be sinless in the future, but in the sinless person and work of Jesus Christ, who paid our debt by nailing it to the cross (Colossians 2:14). This is our hope. He is our hope. We cling to Him. He is faithful, and He will not disappoint us.

Dear Lord, help us to be faithful. Help us to see You as You are and rest in Your work for us and Your faithful character. Thank You that we can hold fast to You unwaveringly because You are our Anchor. Help us trust You in that and walk with You all of our days. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

Don't Let Me Miss The Glory

By Samuel Parrish, Campus Director, Living Hope Charleston

“How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?”
John 5:44

The apostle John threads the gleaming strand of glory throughout his gospel as a unifying theme. From verse fourteen of chapter one, to the high priestly prayer in chapter seventeen, God’s glory—his very nature seen most clearly in Jesus—stands as the foundation of the book and the gospel itself.

In the first five chapters of the book, we see Jesus regularly reminding the disciples AND the Pharisees that his glory is not his own, but from the Father. Jesus sees no tension between claiming equality with the Father and his willing submission to the Father’s will. The Pharisees in contrast cannot exist in this tension. Despite being God’s chosen people, and having his word for millennia, the Pharisees are incapable of seeing God’s work and knowing it to be so. Jesus could root this issue in a myriad of sources, but the apostle John notes in verse 44 that Jesus diagnoses this as a glory issue.

Jesus’s words are startling. The Pharisees cannot understand their need for God’s glory because their need for glory has already been satisfied in their “holy huddle.” They see no lack in who they are because being a teacher, being a leader, being someone of influence was their glory. And sadly, that glory was so satisfying that it kept them from seeking the glory that can only come from the Father.

We are all searching, aren’t we? From the top salesman in his region with a floundering family life to the minister who finds purpose in his title more than his calling; sin grabs us on our search for glory. We look to each other and break the heart of the Father as we are satisfied with the glory of addiction, emotional dependency, and sinful self-protection. Like the Pharisees in verse 43, we believe every other voice in our lives except the loving voice of God. We ignore his word, and isolate from his people. Like the Pharisees, false glory will be our judgment if we remain satisfied in it.

If the rightful source of our glory was unclear, Jesus clarifies beyond doubt in chapter seventeen, hours before he was crucified. His prayer for all of us who believe is that a unity of glory might bring about a unity of meaning and a unity of purpose. As the glory Jesus received from the Father led him to give his life for others, the glory we receive from Jesus calls us out of sin and into a life of joyful sacrifice.

May the glory of Christ both in his death and resurrection draw us to the Father during this Lenten season!